Neuronal Cannabinoid CB₁ Receptors Suppress the Growth of Melanoma Brain Metastases by Inhibiting Glutamatergic Signalling.

ABSTRACT: Melanoma is one of the deadliest forms of cancer. Most melanoma deaths are caused by distant metastases in several organs, especially the brain, the so-called melanoma brain metastases (MBMs). However, the precise mechanisms that sustain the growth of MBMs remain elusive. Recently, the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate has been proposed as a brain-specific, pro-tumorigenic signal for various types of cancers, but how neuronal glutamate shuttling onto metastases is regulated remains unknown. Here, we show that the cannabinoid CB₁ receptor (CB₁R), a master regulator of glutamate output from nerve terminals, controls MBM proliferation. First, in silico transcriptomic analysis of cancer-genome atlases indicated an aberrant expression of glutamate receptors in human me

SUBMITTER: Costas-Insua C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10177062 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature